Care and maintenance of the French bulldog

Features of the breed and content

Proper care of your French Bulldog is the key to longevity and happiness for your pet. The breed is unpretentious, does not require compliance with serious rules and vigilant control over the dog. But you can’t just let everything take its course.

Caring for your puppy begins from the moment he crosses the threshold of your home. The pet needs to be given a “tour” of its new home. Together with the puppy, examine all the rooms that he is allowed to enter, introduce your pet to all family members and animals that already live in the house. Frenchies do not like to be alone, so your presence during the “excursion” will show the puppy that you care about him.

The most difficult months for your pet will be the 3rd and 4th months of life. During this period, the psyche is still unstable and can change under the influence of changes occurring around. Take care of the puppy, do not frighten him, try to train and encourage him, then his character will be formed correctly.

But you shouldn’t indulge the Frenchman’s whims. Dogs of this breed tend to dominate, so do not be influenced by large and plaintive eyes. If the puppy has done something wrong, punish him (in word, but not in deed), and do not allow him to behave aggressively towards other animals or family members.

Contents in the apartment

The breed is not suitable for guarding a house on a leash. Typically, French bulldogs are kept in an apartment. The pet will not require any serious tricks from you. The size of the dog is small, especially since most of the time it will follow its owner with its “tail” and settle down in the most inconvenient places. Even a one-room apartment is suitable for keeping such a pet.

And yet the Frenchman needs his own corner. You can buy a soft bed or house for your pet and put toys there so that the puppy doesn’t get bored.

It’s ideal if you can take your dog’s favorite thing from the kennel with you. French bulldogs are sentimental, so a familiar toy will give them confidence and help them adapt faster.

The bed should not be placed near a radiator, window or door.

Before your dog arrives at your home, you need to prepare it:

• put shoes and clothes in closed cabinets;
• close the trash can with a lid and place it in an inaccessible place, for example, in a cabinet under the sink;
• hide the wires, for example, in cable channels;
• cover all the gaps between the floor and the furniture with something hard - the puppy can hurt his back trying to crawl under the sofa or closet;
• Limit access to the balcony for the puppy and put nets on the windows.

Due to the structure of their muzzle, French bulldogs do not like deep bowls. It is better to buy wide ones with low sides. There should be 3 bowls - for water, dry and wet food.

For walks, it is advisable to buy a leash-harness so that the attachment is not located on the neck. If you put strong and frequent pressure on it, spinal diseases may develop. In winter, the French get cold, so they need warm clothes. Some owners also purchase a muzzle - more for peace of mind, since the breed is not aggressive.

Preparing a room for a new family member

The French Bulldog is kept only in an apartment. The dog is a decorative breed and is not suitable for living in an enclosure. On the street she freezes, overheats, catches colds and catches infectious diseases.

Where does your French Bulldog sleep?

On your own sun lounger

59.65%

Together with family members on the bed

40.35%

Preparations are made in advance for the arrival of the puppy to its new home and its care. Need to:

• close all cracks and openings - the baby can get stuck between the sofa and the floor, behind the closet and damage his back or joints;
• put metal bars on the windows - the dog can jump out of the balcony, mosquito nets will not hold him in;
• lift the wires from the floor and secure them higher, or hide them in cable channels;
• remove household chemicals, cosmetics, and waste bins from access - the bulldog will not fail to try a “delicious” bottle of shampoo or scraps from the trash, which can lead to poisoning;
• hide valuables - from favorite shoes to expensive cream and memorable figurines: all puppies are naughty, their teeth will definitely end up with objects dear to the owner’s heart.

Keeping and caring for a French bulldog places special demands on the premises. Dogs are sensitive to temperature changes and are prone to dust allergies. Therefore, the apartment should be clean, bright, warm, without drafts.

It's easier with the dimensions of the area. Bulldogs are compact, not active, and do not need much space. A one-room apartment would also be suitable.

The first days are difficult for a puppy. Care at this time is an aid in adaptation. The baby is shown rooms, introduced to family members and other pets, and helped to get used to objects that are unusual and scary for the dog. It is important to explain the rules of behavior to your pet before 4 months - this is the basis of raising a Frenchie.

To help the kitten quickly get used to its new home, take a toy, bedding or bowl from the nursery. Bulldogs are sentimental and get attached to things.

What to feed

French bulldogs have 2 food options - premium and super-premium dry food or natural food. Those who have time to prepare a separate dish for their pet every day choose the second option. Busy people like the first one.

French bulldogs are prone to allergies and obesity, so the diet is prepared according to the following rules:

1. Meat makes up 70% of the total diet. The pet is fed lean beef, veal, lamb, and rabbit. The product is given boiled (without salt) or raw (previously frozen and thawed).
2. Instead of meat, once a day you can give offal - liver, heart, lungs, kidneys.
3. Another meat substitute is fish. They cook it by hand, they give it raw from the sea. Frenchies are fed fish no more than 1-2 times a week; the bones are first removed.
4. The remaining 30% of the diet is cereals and vegetables. The French are given oatmeal, buckwheat, rice, barley, boiled in water without salt and sugar. All vegetables are suitable except potatoes. They are boiled or given raw.
5. You can give fruits from time to time if the bulldog likes them.
6. You should not give your dog milk, but fermented milk products will benefit him. Cottage cheese, kefir, sour cream - everything is good for a bulldog. Just do not give such products along with meat.
7. Raw and boiled eggs can be given to your pet 1-2 times a week.
8. You can add vegetable oils to cereals and vegetable mixtures (without fanaticism).

When the puppy stops drinking his mother's milk, he is fed 6 times a day. After reaching two months of age, they are transferred to five meals a day. From 3 to 6 months, the puppy should eat 4 times a day, from six months to a year - three times. An adult dog is fed twice a day - morning and evening.

French Bulldogs are prone to overeating. The owner needs to create a diet so that the pet does not gain weight, otherwise he will have to go on a diet. The amount of meat is calculated using the formula 20 g of product per 1 kg of dog weight. This way you will get 70% of your diet. Based on the results, calculate the mass of 30% vegetable and cereal foods.

If you want to switch your Frenchie from dry food to natural food or vice versa, then this must be done gradually. Gradually dilute the usual diet with a new one so as not to cause stress and digestive problems in your pet. The transition lasts 10-14 days.

Swimming in nature

While outdoors, make sure that your pet does not accidentally fall into the water . The fact is that French bulldogs are very poor swimmers. Several factors contribute to this: a short muzzle and difficulties in the respiratory system, the dog can simply suffocate, as well as the general structure of the body, it is uncomfortable for them to swim due to short legs and a disproportionately large head, they can simply roll over and drown.

Important! It is especially dangerous for a dog to swim at great depths with strong currents. Traditional games with dogs, when they throw a stick into the water, will not work in the case of a French bulldog.

If you want to cool your pet in a pond in the heat, you can simply take him into chest-deep water and be with him. You can take a walk with him along the water's edge. This will cool your dog down and make him happy. This will be calmer and safer for you and your four-legged friend.

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How to care

Complex care for a French bulldog is not required - grooming does not include regular combing and cutting. The breed is short-haired, so you won’t have to brush the dog often. The procedure is carried out 2-3 times a week. A soft massage brush is used over the entire body of the dog. This will make the fur shine.

Caring for your dog involves regular water treatments. After a walk, you need to clean your paws, and regular washing is required no more than once every 2-3 months. To do this, use special shampoos for short-haired dogs or regular baby soap.

An important step in grooming French bulldogs is cleaning the folds. There are almost none on the body, but they are on the face. They are regularly wiped with wet wipes for animals. If you do not remove dirt from the folds, bacteria will grow there. To get rid of diaper rash, use baby cream.

Slightly protruding eyes are a distinctive feature of the French Bulldog, but the breed often has problems with them. To avoid diseases, you need to provide proper care. It is necessary to treat your pet's eyelids 1-2 times a week with a cotton pad soaked in strong tea leaves. Getting used to this process in childhood will prevent problems in the future.

It is also necessary to take proper care of your ears. After each walk, you need to treat them with a cotton pad soaked in a veterinary solution. If it is not possible to buy ear product, you can use regular Chlorhexidine. After walks, it is important to inspect the shells for parasites.

To prevent tartar, French bulldogs are allowed to chew hard vegetables and fruits. Sometimes you can give bones from veins. To clean your pet's teeth, you can go to a veterinary clinic. If your pet has a good upbringing, you can cope with the procedure at home. To do this, you need to buy a special brush and paste for dogs. Teeth are brushed once a month.

French Bulldogs' nails wear down during walks, but sometimes they need to be trimmed. To do this, buy dog ​​nail clippers at the veterinary pharmacy. Cut off the very ends so as not to touch the blood vessels. If the procedure is unsuccessful, the bleeding is stopped with dry potassium permanganate or a veterinary pencil.

Rules for caring for a bulldog

It is important to start caring for a bulldog with its training. However, hygiene procedures, proper nutrition and daily walking of the dog are integral elements of caring for an animal.

Nutrition and diet

Feeding the puppy should occur daily 5-6 times a day in equal portions, over time the number of meals is reduced to two.

The diet should be varied and enriched with vitamins. However, liquid food is not recommended for a bulldog, since due to the characteristics of the respiratory system, while eating, the animal can inhale air along with food, thereby causing bloating and colic in the abdomen.

The diet should contain meat, fish, cereals, dried bread, and some vegetables.

Walking features

The physical abilities of the French Bulldog are not the highest. In addition, anatomical features and problems with thermoregulation and breathing do not allow the dog to lead an overly active lifestyle. It is recommended that the dog be walked twice a day, the walk should be calm, and the pet should always be on a leash.

To maintain physical fitness in the first six months of life, active walks (running, jumping) should occur for 15–20 minutes per walk. Over time, this activity should decrease to 5-7 minutes.

In summer, it is better to walk your dog in the early morning and late evening, when the thermometer does not show above +24. In winter, walks in frost below -18 degrees are contraindicated for animals.

Hygiene and medicine

Hygienic care for a French Bulldog begins with brushing the coat, which is done once a week. You need to wash your dog once a month using special mild shampoos for dogs. Make sure your pet's skin does not dry out, which causes dandruff. Also inspect your dog’s paws daily to make sure there are no cracks on them.

To decide how to clean your ears, pay attention to your dog's reaction. Cotton swabs and cotton swabs are used to clean the ears, but the sensations in the ears are different. During the summer, it is important to clean your ears to check for mites.

Related article: How to choose the right French bulldog puppy

It is important to wipe between the folds on the animal’s face daily – sweat and dirt accumulate in these places. For this, wet swabs or wipes are used.

Caring for a French Bulldog also includes nail trims every 10 days, vaccinations, and regular checkups with a veterinarian.

All these simple rules will help ensure a healthy and happy life for your pet.

Vaccinations and diseases

The puppy is given the first vaccination at 1.5-2 months, the second at six months, and the third at a year. Then only annual maintenance vaccination is needed. It is not advisable to vaccinate when baby teeth are replaced by molars.

French Bulldogs are susceptible to the following diseases:

• contact and food allergies;
• conjunctivitis;
• prolapse of the third eyelid;
• otitis externa;
• rhinitis;
• discopathy;
• hypothyroidism;
• diabetes;
• appearance of wedge-shaped vertebrae.

A characteristic symptom of many diseases is nasal dryness. By looking closely at your pet and its behavior, you can find other signs of a problem. There is no need to hesitate - you should immediately consult a doctor. He will determine why the changes occurred and prescribe treatment.

Estrus in females begins between six months and a year. Subsequently, it appears twice a year with a break of approximately 6 months. Mating is recommended to be carried out no earlier than 15-18 weeks of the dog’s life, that is, during the 3rd heat or after it.

Bathing a French Bulldog Puppy

You can start water procedures no earlier than when your pet is 4-5 months old. Some experts generally do not recommend bathing French bulldogs until six months of age, but rather wipe them with a damp towel or diaper.

Important! It is really not recommended to bathe very young French Bulldog puppies, as they are still quite weak and can catch a cold. And a small puppy may simply be afraid of this “terrible” procedure. After which it will be very difficult to accustom the dog to washing.

This should not be done immediately, but gradually. First you need to put the puppy in the bath, preferably on a rubber mat so that it does not slip. Then gradually wet the puppy using a damp towel or a small stream of water.

This way your little French Bulldog will understand that there is nothing wrong with it. The water temperature should be 33-35 degrees, it is not recommended to collect water, or its level should reach the stomach . If it is higher, it may scare your puppy. With the right approach, your French Bulldog puppy will love bathing and will enjoy splashing around in the bathtub.

After you have taught your pet not to be afraid of water, you can start washing. You need to pour a little shampoo into your palm and apply the shampoo in a circular motion over the entire area of ​​the coat. Then you need to lather and rinse 2-3 times to completely wash away any remaining shampoo.

Then let the dog shake himself off right in the bathroom, then take him out and wrap him in a clean diaper or towel. The main thing is to avoid drafts and cold so that your baby does not catch a cold. For both puppies and adult dogs, put a dry absorbent diaper on the bed where the dog is resting so that it does not get wet.

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